Document retrieval system



Nov. 24, 1964 R. K. WILMER 3,153,237

DOCUMENTRETRIEVAL SYSTEM Filed April 9, 1963 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 5,. E5 g E? 1 o a: V

a 9i- (9 E INVENTOR RICHARD K. WILMER AGENT Nov. 24, 1964 R. K. WILMER 3, 3,

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Nov. 24, 1964 Filed April 9, 1963 R. K. WILMER 3,158,287

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DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL SYSTEM Filed April 9, 1963 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 LEFT LEFT BIN BIN POSITION NDICATO BIN COMPARE Nov. 24, 1964 R. K. WILMER DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL SYSTEM 15 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed April 9, 1963 @1333 N 3&2: 29:: 23:6 0 8 25 m NE 225353 Lo =5 mom Nov. 24, 1964 R. K. WILMER DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL SYSTEM 15 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed April 9, 1963 Nov. 24, 1964 Filed April 9, 1963 CONTACT DIF DIF R. K. WILMER DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL SYSTEM .x IO

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DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL SYSTEM Filed April 9, 1965 15 Sheets-Sheet 15 COMPARE INDICA FIG United States Patent 0 3,158,287 DfiiZUME-NT RETRIEVAL SYSTEM Richard K. Wilmer, Yorktown Heights, N.i assignor to international Business Machines Qorporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Yorir Filed Apr. 9, 196$, Ser. No. 271516 7 Claims. {@l. 2221-43} This invention relates to document retrieval systems and more particularly to a system for storing, transporting, and processing documents without manual handling.

With the continual increase in the volume of documents produced by business and government, the storage and retrieval of these documents has become a critical problem. In order to reduce the size of document files, it has become the practice to micro-film the documents for storage purposes. The small size of these document images (hereinafter referred to'merely as documents), their number, and the fact that physical contact with the surface on which the documents are stored could destroy it have made manual retrieval of these documents impractical and have greatly complicated the problems of automatic document retrieval. Present automatic document retrieval systems use a mechanical arm and picker mechanism to remove a record containing the desired document from a bin in which it is stored, to carry the record to a utilization station, and to return the record to the bin from which it was withdrawn. Such systems are relatively slow, cumbersome, and expensive.

Pneumatic transport and retrieval systems such as that described in copending application Serial No. 217,185, entitled Record Transport Device, filed August 15, 1962, on behalf of C. L. Barcia and assigned to the assignee of the instant application have been found to eliminate some of the problems mentioned above. IIOv ever, the need for improved systems having higher operating speeds (i.e., capable of retrieving and operating upon a larger number of documents per unit time) at low cost with a minimum of manual handling is still a critical one.

A general object of this invention is therefore to provide an improved automatic document retrieval system.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide an automatic document retrieval system which is capable of operating at very high speed.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic document retrieval system which requires no manual handling of the stored documents.

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic document retrieval system where documents may be removed from a storage location for processing in a random order.

A still further object of this invention automatic document retrieval above which is relatively ate.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an automatic document retrieval system of the type described above which is capable of reading a plurality of successive documents from a record once the record has been selected.

In accordance with these objects, this invention provides a first and a second bin, each of which has a plurality of positions formed therein which are capable of receiving a document containing record. For each record, a corresponding position is provided in each of the two bins. Means are provided for indicating in which bin a record is stored and for indicating to the system in which storage position of the indicated bin the desired record is stored. Means are provided for moving the records be tween each of the bins and a means for utilizing the stored documents. Once it has been determined where the is to provide an system of the type described inexpensive to build and oper- 'ice desired record is located, the bin in which the record is stored is positioned by suitable means relative to said moving means. Means are then energized to eject the record from its storage position and to transport it to the utilization device. After the record is ejected from its storage position, the bin in which the next record to be fed to the utilization device is stored is moved to a position in line with the moving means and the other bin is moved to position the storage slot for the utilized record to receive this record. Means are then energized to drive the utilized record from the utilization device to the re-' ceiving position in the other bin. Either while this operation is being performed or subsequent thereto, means are energized to drive the next document to be utilized from its storage position to the utilization device.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment. of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a preferred embodiment of an automatic document retrieval system accordv ing to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a film strip for use in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3a is a detailed View of the document transports employed in the embodiment of FIG. 1. This view is taken along the line 3a3a in FIG. 1. 7

FIG. 3b is a detailed view of the document transports taken along the line 3b3b in FIG. 3a.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of One of the record stops employed in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 indicates the arrangement of FIGS. Sal-5m to make a composit block diagram of an electronic control circuit suitable for use with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. Sa-Sm when taken together form an electronic control circuit for the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1.

General Description Referring to the perspective view of FIG. 1, the sys tem includes a left-hand storage bin 10 and a right-hand storage bin 12. Each bin has a plurality of record strip receiving positions formed therein, these positions being arranged in a matrix array. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, each bin has eight rows and eight columns of record storage positions for a total of 64 record storage positions per bin.

A transport path 14 connects bin 10 to bin 12. A suitable transport path is shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b and described in detail later. An optical-read station 16 is positioned in the transport path midway between the two storage bins. This read station has a lens therein. The optical-read station including the lens is moved in the horizontal plane by a piston adder 18 under control of solenoid valves 26. A light source and shutter mechanism 22 is positioned above the optical-read station, and, when the shutter is opened, itv shines a beam of light through the lens, and through the document positioned under the lens, to expose output film strip 24. Positioned midway between the two channels of transport path 14 are a bank of left film stops 26 and a bank of right film stops 28. For the film strip shown in FIG. 2, each of these banks requires 32 film stops therein. The left and right film stops 26 and 28, respectively, are raised to an extended position under control of solenoid valves 3% and 32, respectively. Air is supplied to the individual film stop valves 30 and 32 through film stop air supply valve 33 and air tube 35. An individual film stop is shown in FIG. 4 and the operation of these film stops is described in detail later.

:3 Bin has an ejector mechanism 34 positioned behind it in line with transport path 14. An ejector mechanism 36 is similarly positioned behind bin 12. Each of these ejectors is connected through an air hose to a 3-way valve 38 and 49, respectively, which causes either air or vacuum to be applied through the ejector to the rear of the bin.

The positions of transport path 14 and of ejectors 34 and 36 is fixed. Bin lltl is moved relative to these elements in the horizontal plane by piston adder 42h and in the vertical plane by piston adder 42v. Bin 12 is moved in the horizontal plane by piston adder 44h. and in the vertical plane by piston adder 44v. The position of piston adders 42h and 42v is controlled by solenoid valves 4511 and 46v, respectively, while the position of piston adders 4411 and 44v is controlled by solenoid valves 43k and 48v, respectively.

The various piston adders shown in FIG. 1 could for example, be of the type shown in FIG. 8 of the beforementioned copending application of C. L. Barcia or of any other standard variety. A suitable mechanism for electors 34 and 36 is shown in copending application Serial No. 220,453, filed August 30, 1962, on behalf of H. A. Khoury and C. L. Barcia, entitled Ejector Device and assigned to the assignee of the instant application. A detailed description of the operation of these ejector devices is given in this copending application. For the purposes of this invention, it will suffice to state that air pressure applied to the device 34 or 36 draws an aligned record into the transport path 14 and vacuum applied thereto assists in storing a record in its aligned bin.

FIG. 2 shows a typical film strip which may be stored in the bins shown in FIG. 1. The film strip is rectangular in shape and has photographically reduced images of documents stored therein in four columns or" 32 documents each. Each vertical group of four documents is referred to as a row. The address of each document is made up of seven binary bits, the first five of which are the row address (and also the number of the film stop which is raised to stop the film strip) and the last two of which are the column address (and also the lens address to read the document). The row and column address are shown in FIG. 2. A suitable border is left on each side of the film strip so that the film strip may be held in position and transported by its edges to prevent defacing the document storage area.

From the above, it can be seen that each film strip contains 128 document images. Since each bin contains 64 of these film strips, each bin may contain 8,192 document images. However, both the bin capacities and the size of the film have been selected merely for illustrative purposes and it is to be understood that, where greater storage capacity is required, larger film strips and/ or larger capacity bins may be provided.

Transport Path FIGS. 3:: and 31') form a detailed view of the film transport path 14 mounted between bins 1t and 12 in FIG. 1.

The transport includes two rails 50 and 52, each having a guide slot 54 and 56, respectively, formed in its inner side. A film strip 58 fits between rails 59 and 52 with its outer edges within guide slots 54 and 56. The tops and bottoms of guide slots 54 and contain a plurality of air orifices or nozzles 68 and 62 along the length of the slots and directed at angles with respect to the edge surface of the film strip 5%. Nozzles 69 are angled to direct the film from left to right in FIGS. 1 and 3b and nozzles 62 are angled to direct the film from right to left. Air is supplied to the nozzles 69 tending to drive the film strip in the rightward direction through solenoid operated valve 64, air tubes as and manifolds 68. Air is directed to nozzles 6.2, tending to drive the film strip in the leftward direction through solenoid valve 70, air tubes 62 and manifolds '74. When flip-flop 76 is in its ONE state, valve 64 is energized while, when flip-flop '76 is in its ZERO state, valve 7d is energized. The control circuitry for flip-flop will be described later. r

The Film Stops FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a single one of the film stops 26 and 23, shown in FIG. 1 as viewed when looking in the direction of travel of a film strip. The stop itself is an inverted T-shaped strip of material 39 which is normally in the position shown in FIG. 4. The horizontal portion of member 80 is in an air tight chamber 82 formed in a casing 84. The entire assembly is enclosed in a cover 86. The vertical fiange of member 56 has a projecting arm 38 which, when the member is raised, opens normally-closed contact 96. Member 86 is raised to an extended position with its vertical fiange protruding from cover 80 into the path of a transported film strip by applying air pressure to chamber 82 through nozzle 92. There is a nozzle 92 for each of the film stop members 89 and air is supplied to a given nozzle through an individual solenoid operated valve 3th or 32 (FIG. 1). When air pressure is removed from nozzle 92., member 853 returns to the position shown in FIG. 4 under the action of gravity; however, this method of restoring the stops is generally not rapid enough. A positive method of return must therefore be employed. With the configuration of FIG. 4, either of two methods may be used to positively return member fill. With the geometrical configuration of chamber 32, shown in FIG. 4, the air pressure applied .to nozzle )2 tends to bleed around the lower portion of member 80 while the member is in its raised position, causing a slight increase in pressure in the chamber arms 94 and in the portion of the chamber above cut out portion 96 of member 88. When air pressure is removed from nozzle 92, the pressure in these portions of chamber 32 above the horizontal part of the member St is greater than that below the member and tends to drive it to the retracted position shown in FIG. 4. than the complex configuration of FIG. 4, a source of low pressure air may be applied to the upper portions of all chambers 82, this pressure being sufiicient to bias the members to the position shown in FIG. 4, but not being sufficient to hold the member in the downward position against the force of an air jet applied to nozzle 92.

General Operation This section will deal only with the mechanical operations performed by the hardware shown in FIGS. 1-4. The sections to follow will cover the detailed operation of the device as a whole including the control circuitry shown in FIGS. Sa-Sm.

For the purpose of illustration, assume that the following is the sequence of requests applied to the device:

Bin i First First Last Last Request Bin 0f Bin of Ad- Lens Stop Lens Stop N0. Origin Destination dross Ad- Ad- Ad- Ad dross dress dress dress 1- Left Hand" Right Hand 5 2 8 2 8 2- do Left Hand 7 0 12 0 12 3. Right Hand. do 24 3 12 3 12 4... do Rightl land. 19 2 12 O 16 5 Left Hand d.o 33 1 3 16 3 16 It should be noted that with the address scheme used for the bins and the film strips of this invention, the lowest address is zero, and therefore, for example, lens position No. 2 is actually the third lens position rather than the second.

Since the first document is to be taken from left hand If a plain chamber is employed rather This being the case, for

At the same time that bin is being positioned, signals are applied to energize valve 33 and to energize the valves 32 corresponding to the film stop No. 3 of the film stops 2% and to all of the film stops 23 behind this one. The reason for raising all the film stops behind the desired one will be apparent later. Finally, valves are energized causing piston adder 18 to move optical-read station 16 to position the lens therein at lens position No. 2 (to position the lens over column No. 2, the third column, of a film strip).

When the above operations have been completed, threeway valve 38 is momentarily transferred to cause air pressure to be applied to ejector 34. At the same time that a signal is applied to three-way valve 33, a signal is also applied to flip-flop 76 (FIG. 3a) to switch this flip-flop to its ONE state. pressure to be applied through this valve and through air channel 66 and manifold 68 to angled nozzles 68 tending to drive a film strip from left to right in transport path 1 2 The pulsing of ejector 34 causes the selected film strip to be blasted out of bin 1i into transport path 14. The viscous drag effect of the air flowing through nozzles 60 on the surface of the film strip causes the film strip to continue moving through the transport path until it is stopped by one of the stops 28. When the proper positioning of the film strip at optical-read stat-ion 16 is detected, a signal is applied to shutter-controlled light source 22, causing the shutter to be momentarily opened to reproduce the desired document on output film The proper positioning of the various elements may either be detected by suitable detectors (not shown in FIG. 1, but shown in FIGS. 5a-5m and described later) or the signals which are generated when these elements are suitably positioned may merely be timing pulses which are timed to occur a sufiicient period of time after the positioning operation is started to allow the positioning to be completed.

The signal which is generated when the film strip is properly positioned at the optical-read station, in addition to being applied to shutter mechanism 22 is also applied to control circuitry to cause the bin of origin for the next requested document and the bin of destination for the document now being read to be properly positioned. The

bin of destination for the document presently being read will always be the opposite bin from the bin of origin for the next document to be read. In the illustrative example, the second document has as its bin of origin the left hand bin; therefore, the film strip containing the first requested document is returned to right hand bin 12. Control signals are therefore applied to valves 46h and 461/ to position bin address 7 of bin 10 in line with ejector 34 and transport path 14 and to position bin address 5 of bin 12 in line with transport path 14.

The shutter of shutter mechanism 22 has a contact attached thereto which, when it is closed, causes a signal to be applied to flip-flop 76 (FIG. 3a) to cause the proper valve 64 or 76 to be energized to cause air to flow through the nozzles 6t? or 62 which would tend to drive the film strip containing the document which was just read to its bin of destination. In this case, flip-flop 76 is left in its ONE state. When the bin 12 has been properly positioned, to receive the utilized film strip and flip-flop 76 has been switched to the proper state, energy is removed from valve 33 causing film stops 28 to be returned to their retracted position. This allows the viscous drag effect of the air flowing through nozzles 60 on the surfaces of the film strip containing requested document No. 1 to drive this film strip into bin address 5 of bin 12.

At this time bin 16 should be properly positioned to feed the film strip containing the second requested docurnent into transport path 14. If the control mechanism for stops 28 could be made fast enough to be retracted to allow the utilized film strip to be returned to bin 12 and then be immediately raised again, to stop the document being fed from bin 10 at its proper position, the

This energizes valve 64 causing air returning of the used film strip and the ejecting of the new film strip could be accomplished simultaneously. However, the control circuitry for accomplishing this sort of operation is rather complex and to simplify the circuit, the control circuitry shown in FIGS. Sa-Sm permits a short timing lag between these two' operations. Therefore, immediately after the return of the film strip containing the first requested document to bin 12, signals are applied to valve 33 and the proper ones of valves 32 to cause the desired film stops 2% to be raised to their extended position. Signals are also applied to valves 28 to cause the lens of optical'read station 16 to be positioned over the proper column to read the second requested document.

When these positioning operations have been satisfactorily completed, a signal is again applied to flip-flop '76 to switch it to its ONE state and to valve 38 to cause air to be momentarily applied through it to ejector 34.

Referring to the above chart, it is seen that the third requested document is taken from right hand bin 12. Therefore, the film strip containing the second requested document is returned to left hand bin iii, the bin from which it was taken. This being true, when the film strip containing requested document No. 2 closes the lens contact, signals are applied to valves 46h anddtv to cause left hand bin ii) to be positioned to receive the second requested document, and signals are applied to valves 4% and 48v to cause bin 12 to be positioned with its storage position No. 24- in line with ejector 36 and transport path 14. It isnoted that, since the film strip containing the second requested document was originally taken from bin 19, this bin should be properly positioned at this time and that the application of signals to valves 46k and 46v should not be necessary. However, these signals are applied to the valves as an added precaution.

When the contact attached to the shutter in shutter mechanism 22 is closed, a signal is applied to flip-flop 76 (FIG. 3a) to switch this flip-flop to its ZERO state. This conditions valve 76 causing air to be applied through this valve and through lines 72 and manifold 74 to nozzles 62, tending to drive a film strip from right to left in transport path 14. The viscous drag effectof the air flowing through nozzles 62 on the surfaces of film strip 58 drive the film strip containing requested document No. 2 back into bin address 7 of left hand bin 16. it is noted that since the direction of travel of this film strip has been reversed, the film stops 23 do not present the film strip from being re turned to bin 1% when the direction of air flow in transport path lid is reversed. To avoid the premature return of the film strip to bin 10, the detailed embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. Sa-Sm delays the switching of fiip flop 76 until an indication is received that bin 1% has been properly positioned to receive the film strip. Current is then removed from valve 33 to allow film stops 28 to return to their retracted position.

Since the film strip containing the third requested document is being taken from right hand bin 12, signals are now applied to valve 33 and to the valves 30 corresponding to the 12th film stop 26 and all those behind it. Current is also applied to valves 20 to cause the lens in opticalread station 16 to be positioned over column 3, the last column of the film strip.

When all elements are properly positioned, a signal is applied to flip-flop 76 to switch this flip-flop to its ZERO state, causing air to flow through nozzles 62 of transport path 14 and to three-way valve'dtl to cause air pressure to be momentarily applied to ejector 36.

Since the film strip containing the fourth requested documents is also to be taken from the right hand bin, the film strip containing the third requested document is returned to the left hand bin in a manner similar to that described with reference to the returning of the film strip containing the first requested document to the right hand bin, and right bin 12 is positioned to align bin address 19 thereof, the bin address containing the film strip on which re- 1? quested documents No. 4 appear, with ejector 36 and transport path 34.

Referring back to the chart, it is seen that three successive documents are taken from the film strip about to be ejected. This however, does not alter the initial operations of the device. After the film strip containing requesteddocument No. 3 is returned to bin it signals are applied to energize valve 33 and the valves 30 corresponding to stop No. 12 of the film stops 26 and all those hehind it. Signals are also applied to valves 2% to cause the lens of optical-read station 16 to be positioned over column No. 2 of the film strip. When these operations have been completed, signals are applied to the ZERO side input of flip-flop 76, causing air to fiow in nozzles 62 of transport path 14, and to valve 46 causing air pressure to be momentarily applied to ejector This causes the desired film strip to be ejected into transport path 14 and along transport path 14 to a position with the first requested document under the lens in optical-read station 16. The sensing of this condition by the lens contact causes the shutter of shutter mechanism 22 to be opened allowing an image of the first of the requested documents to be reproduced on an output film 24.

The closing of the shutter Contact in shutter mechanism 22 now causes a new film address to be applied to the device-control circuitry. This is the film address 15. it can be seen by looking at the film strip shown in FIG. 2 that the stop address remains the same for film addresses 14 and 15 and only the lens address changes. Therefore, this new address does not alter the settings of film stops as, but is applied to valves 2t? to cause piston adder 1 3 to move the lens in optical-read station 16 from its position over column No. 2 of the film strip to a position over column No. 3. When the lens is properly positioned, a signal is applied to shutter mechanism 22 to cause the second of the requested documents No. 4 to be reproduced on film strip 24 and to cause the address in the devicecontrol circuitry to again be incremented one position.

Again referring to FIG. 2, it is seen that in going from document No. 15 to document No. 16 on a film strip, both the lens address and the top address are changed. The application of the new stop address through valves 39 causes the front-most film stop to have air removed from its nozzle 92 (sec PEG. 4) allowing this stop member till to return to its retracted position. The viscous drag etlect of the air pressure flowing through nozzles 62 on the surfaces of the film strip increments the film strip forward to the next raised film stop, the tum stop having the address 16. Signals are also applied to valves 26 to cause piston adder 18 to return to its fully retracted position thereby positioning the lens in optical-read station is over the ZERO column of the film strip.

When these positioning operations have been completed, shutter mechanism 22 is again energized causing the last of the requested documents No. 4 to be reproduced on film strip 24 and causing the shutter contact to be close Since all the requested documents on the film strip have now been read out, the closing of the shutter contact now causes a signal to be applied to flip-flop 76 to switch this flip-flop to its ONE state. This causes air to how in nozzles 60 (see H6. 3) of transport path l t to drive the film strip into the bin address 19 of previously-positioned right hand bin 12. This film strip is returned to right hand bin 1?. sothat left hand bin lib may be properly positioned to eject the film strip containing requested document No. which is stored therein.

It should be noted that a film strip cannot be turned around in the system. in the discussion so far, it has been assumed that the film strips are stored with the lower numbered rows to the left and the higher numbered ones to the right. Therefore, when the film strip containing reques ed documents No. iwas fed from the right hand bin up against right film stops 2d, it was the lowest numbered document which was cad first, and the front-most film stop was dropped to allow a higher numbered document to be read. However, for this same procedure to be followed when a document is fed from the left hand bin it) up against film stops 28, it is the highest order document which must be read first, so that a film stop may be dropped to allow the reading of a document contained in a lower numbered row. This is true since it is the end of the film strip adjacent to the highest numbered row which abutts right film stops 23.

Control Circuitry FEGS. 5a5m form a detailed schematic diagram of a control circuit for the device shown in FIG. 1. Information as to the location of a desired document is supplied by input request source lfitl (FIG. 51)). Source 1'09 may, for example, be a card reader or an incremental punched tape or magnetic tape reader, or a manual keyboard operated either alone or in combination with any of the other sources indicated above. The only limitation on source tea is that it be capable of generating a given amount of information in response to a signal on line N2, and of then not generating any more information until another signal appears on line 102. in FIG. 515, input source Wt) has also been shown as generating a plurality of timing pulses. if the particular input source used is not capable of generating such timing pulses, block itlfi may be considered as also including a timing pulse generator, the cycling of which is also controlled by the signals on line 3%.

The circuit operates under control of two registers hereinafter referred to as the A and the B registers. The A register consists of vacancy bit flip-flop 1G4 (PEG.

5a), six-sin address flip-flops idea-lilo seven first- 1123c and last-film-address flip-flops 1265:4262 supply the address of the film stops while first-film address flipfiops li3f-i18g and last-film-address flip-flops EZtBf-lZilg supply the lens position address. All the register A and register 3 flip-flops and all other flip-flops in the circuit are of the type which are switched to their ONE state by a signal applied to their ONE-side input, to their ZERO state by a signal applied to their ZERO side input,

and which generate a steady D.-C. output from the side they are switched to.

The output line 1243 from the ZERO side of register A vacancy hit hip-flop 2154 (FIG. 5a), is applied as one input to OR gate 126, and as one input to AND gates 123 and 1%. As will be seen later, the signal on line is also applied as one input to AND gates 132 and 134 (FIG. 5c). The output from the ZERO side of register 13 vacancy bit r'lipdlop 114 (PEG. 5c), is applied through line 136 as the other input to OR gate 126 (PEG. 5a), is the other input to AND gate 39, as one input to AND' gate 133, and as one input to AND gates and 1&2 (EEG. 52). The output from OR gate 126 is the input line 162 to input request source lht} (FIG. 5b).

The outputs from AND gates 128 and 13% (FIG. 5a) are applied through OR gate 144 and line 146 as a conditioning input to gates 1%, 15% (FIG. 5a) and 152 and as one input to AND gates 154, 155, 153 (FIG. 5e) and 150. The output from AND gate 338 is applied through line 162 as the conditioning inputrto gates 164, (FIG. 50), 166 (HG. 5 and 163 and asone input to AND gates 173, 172, 174 and 1% (FIG. 5e).

The output from AND gate 128 is also applied through diflerentiator 176 (FIG. a) to the ZERO-side input of primary control flip-flop The output from AND gate 138 is applied through ditferentiator 182 to the ONE- side input of flip-flop 189. When primary control flipfiop 180 is in its ONE state, an output signal appears on line 184 indicating that the circuit is under primary control of register A. When flip-flop 18b is in its ZERO state, an output signal appears on line 186 indicating that the circuit is under primary control of the B register. The uses to which the signals on lines 184 and 186 are put will be apparent later.

If input request source Hit) is not already in an output cycle, a signal applied to line 192 by OR gate 12s causes information as to the bin and film addresses of the desired documents to be applied to cable 188. This cable applies the bin address information through gate 148 (FIG. 5a) to bin address flip-flops 195044361 of register A and through gate 164 (FIG. SC) to bin address flip-flops 116::- 116 of register B. This line also supplies the film address of the lowest-numbered document on the film to be read through gate 15%? to first-tilm-address fiip-lops 19841-1 535; of register A and through gate 166 to first-film-address flip-flops 11811-11853 of register B. Line 188 also supplies the film address of the highest-numbered document sought through gate 152 to last-film-address flip-flops 1169a- 11% of register A and through gate 168 to last-film-address flip-flops 129514293 of register B. Where only one document is requested from a selected film strip, the information applied to the first and last film addresses flip-lop will be the same.

Information may be applied to the lines 18% either serially or in parallel. A short time after the application of input information to lines 183 has been completed, input request source 1% applies a timing pulse to line 190. This timing pulse is applied as the other input to AND gates 156 (FIG. 5e) and 176. The output from AND gate 16%) is applied to set register A bin location flip-flop 112 to its ZERO state and the output from AND gate 176 is applied to set register B bin location flip-flop 122 to its ZERO state.

A short time after the application of the signal to line 1%, input request source 1% applies a timing pulse to line 192, which signal is applied as the other input to AND gates 156 (FIG. 5a) and 172 (FIG. 5c). The sig- 11211 on line 192 is also applied to bi-directional X driver 194 (FIG. 5b) and bi-directional Y driver 1%, (FIG. 5e). Each of these drivers is capable of applying a halfselect signal of either polarity to magnetic core storage matrix 198. Magnetic core storage matrix 198 is an S by 8 array, having one core corresponding to each bin address. If the core corresponding to a particular bin address is in the ONE state, this indicates that the film strip stored at that bin address is in the left bin 10 (see FIG. 1) Whereas if the core is in its ZERO state, this indicates that the document is in right hand bin 12. The signal applied to drivers 194 and 196 by line 1&2 sets these drivers so that when an energizing signal is en sequently applied to them, they will supply drive signals of a polarity tending to drive a core from its ONE state to its ZERO state.

The output from AND gate 156 (FIG. 5a) is applied through OR gate 289 to condition gates 2 .92 to pass the three lower order bits stored in bin address flip-flops 166a-1ii6c over lines 2% to Y line selector 2% (FIG.

5b) and to pass the three hits stored in bin address flipflops wed-196 through lines 2% to Y line selector 21d. The output from AND gate 1'72 (FIG. is applied through OR gate 212 to condition gates 214 to pass the information stored in bin address flip-flops 1160-116c 'over lines 216 to Y line selector 2% and to pass the information stored in bin address flip-flops Hod-11o over lines 218 to X line selector 216. Y line selector 2% and X line selector 21% are decoder devices which convert the binary information of one of three input lines into a closed circuit through one of eight lines. These decoders, could for example, be a conventional relay tree or other suitable device. The signal on line 192 therefore serves to set the bi-directional drivers 1% and 196 to apply a pulse of a proper polarity to the storage matrix 1% and also sets the line selectors 2% and 216 to cause the subsequently applied drive signal to pass through the proper row and column in the storage matrix.

A short time after the application of the signal to line 192, input request source 1% applies a timing pulse to line 216. This signal is applied to condition AND gate 218 (FIG. 5e) and is also applied through OR gate 220 to trigger X driver 194 and Y driver 1%, causing two half-select signals to be applied to the core corresponding to the bin address in the bin address register being used to have a full select pulse applied to it. The output from OR gate 22% is also applied to AND gates 222 and 224, one of which will be conditioned at this time by a signal on line 18 or 136. However, the output from the fully conditioned one of these AND gates has no significance at this time. If the core having a full select current applied to it is in its ONE state, an output signal appears on sense line 226. This signal is applied through conditioned AND gate 213 to AND gates 158 and 174. At this time, one of these AND gates is conditioned by a signal on either line 146 or 162, respectively. The output from AND gate 158 is applied to the ONE-side input of register A bin location flip-flop 112 while the output from AND gate 174 is applied to the ONE-side input of register B bin location flip-lop 122. The setting of either of the bin location flip-flops of the ONE state indicates that the document indicated by the associated register is located in left bin 16 (FIG. 1).

A short time after the application of the timing pulse to line 216, input request 1% applies a timing pulse to line 228. This signal is applied as the other input to AND gates 154 (FIG. 5a) and 170 (FIG. 50). The out put from AND gate 154 is applied to the ONE-side input of register A vacancy bit flip-flop 164 while the output from AND gate 170 is applied to the ONE-side input of register B vacancy bit fiip-fiop 11 The output from the ONE side of a register A vacancy bit fiip-fiop 104 is applied by line 230 as the second input to AND gate 138 and is applied as one input to AND gates 232 (FIG. 52) and 234. The output from the one side of register B vacancy bit flip-flop 114- is applied through line 236 as the other input to AND gate 128 and as one input to AND gates 238 and 240.

At this time, one cycle of input request source 160 has been completed and, if one of the registers is available to receive data, this being indicated by the vacancy bit flip-flop of that register being in its ZERO state, OR gate 126 (FIG. So) will apply a signal to line 102 causing a new cycle of input request source 1% to commence. While this is going on, the document indicated by the previous request is selected by hardware to be described now.

The bin location of the documents indicated in registers A and B is indicated by an output from one of eight AND gates as follows: If AND gate 242 (FIG. Sea) has an output on line 244, this indicates that the document indicated by register A and the document indicated by register B are both in right bin 12 (see FIG. 1). If AND gate 245 has an output signal on line 246, this indicates that the document indicated in register A and the document indicated in register B are both in the left bin 10 (see FIG. 1). If AND gate 247 has an output on line 248, this indicates that the document indicated by register A is in the left bin and the document indicated by register B is in the right bin. If AND gate 258 has an output on line 252, this indicates that the document indicated by the A register is in the right bin and that indicated by the B register is in the left bin. If AND gate has an output on line 256, this indicates that the document indicated in the A register is in the left bin and there is nothing in the B register. If AND gate 142 has an output 

1. A RECORD RETRIEVAL SYSTEM COMPRISING: A UTILIZATION STATION; A FIRST AND A SECOND BIN, EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF RECORD RECEIVING POSITIONS AND BOTH BINS HAVING A POSITION CORRESPONDING TO EACH RECORD; MEANS FOR INDICATING IN WHICH BIN A REQUESTED RECORD IS STORED; MEANS FOR INDICATING IN WHICH RECORD RECEIVING POSITION OF THE INDICATED BIN A REQUESTED RECORD IS STORED; MEANS OPERABLE FOR MOVING A SELECTED RECORD FROM A BIN TO SAID UTILIZATION STATION; POSITIONING MEANS OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE INDICATIONS IN SAID BIN INDICATING MEANS AND SAID RECORD RECEIVING POSITION INDICATING MEANS FOR POSITIONING THE INDICATED BIN RELATIVE TO SAID RECORD MOVING MEANS; MEANS OPERABLE WHEN SAID BIN IS PROPERLY POSITIONED FOR ACTUATING SAID RECORD MOVING MEANS; MEANS OPERABLE AFTER SAID ACTUATING MEANS FOR CAUSING INFORMATION AS TO THE NEXT REQUESTED RECORD TO BE APPLIED TO SAID BIN INDICATING MEANS; SAID POSITIONING MEANS BEING OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE NEW INDICATION IN SAID BIN INDICATING MEANS AND THE INDICATION IN SAID POSITION INDICATING MEANS FOR CAUSING THE BIN NOT INDICATED BY SAID BIN INDICATING MEANS TO BE POSITIONED TO RECEIVE THE FIRST REQUESTED RECORD; AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID RECORD MOVING MEANS TO MOVE SAID FIRST REQUESTED RECORD TO SAID LAST MENTIONED BIN. 